Samantha Barks to star as Elsa in Frozen in the West End
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| By
Jade Ali
(Updated on Oct 9, 2023)
It was possibly the biggest role to be filled and finally, it has been announced! There’s no doubt that after both the success of the Frozen franchise, the animated movies and shorts from Disney, and the Broadway spectacular, that Frozen in the West End is going to be the hottest show of 2020 despite its name. Elsa was instantly an iconic character, first voiced by the iconic Idina Menzel (Wicked, Rent) and opened on Broadway by Caissie Levy (Wicked, Les Miserables) and now we know Samantha Barks will be joining the coolest (pun intended) squad there is. Barks will play Elsa in the West End production which was recently announced to begin performances in October 2020.
Samantha Barks to play Elsa in West End's Frozen
The West End’s Frozen to star Samantha Barks
After pondering and even dream casting who Elsa would be when the production opened in the West End, the announcement is finally here. Samantha Barks recently starred in Pretty Woman on Broadway and is well known for starring in the Les Miserables film as Eponine. Barks has also appeared in City of Angels and the world premiere of Amelie the Musical. She will play the huge role of Disney’s Elsa from when previews start in October 2020. Further casting is yet to be announced so the anticipation is drawn out a little longer on who will join Barks’ Elsa as Anna. Final auditions for this role are to be held in late January.
Frozen the Musical
Disney’s Frozen, based on the worldwide beloved film of the same name, is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. The first movie caused an absolute frenzy when it was released six years ago and with the recent release of the sequel, it’s safe to say it still hasn’t died down. In the midst of that was the musical opening on Broadway, directed by Thomas Schumacher, in March 2018. It comes as no surprise that it fast became the biggest show of the season and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical. Frozen is set to open productions not just here in the West End but also in Australia, Japan and Hamburg over the next two years.
The creative team joining director Schumacher will be Christopher Oram with set and costumes design, Neil Austin with lighting design, Peter Hylenski with sound design, Finn Ross with video design and Michael Curry with puppet design. The creative team will be complete by Rob Ashford with choreography and Stephen Ormeus with musical supervision and arrangements.
London Frozen tickets on general sale 6 March 2020
Tickets for Frozen in the West End were already going to be sought after but now with this exciting announcement that Samantha Barks will play Elsa, the demand has only grown. West End Frozen tickets are not yet on sale but sign up to our mailing list so we can remind you closer to the time.
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